Welcome to Walnetto Farm in the most southern tip of the Cascade Mountain range. Just a stone's toss from Mt. Lassen Volcanic National Park and all the treasures these mountains hold. We raise LaMancha dairy goats,laying hens and garden. A homestead realized on "42 Acres of Paradise" off the grid.

Thursday, August 10, 2017

When we first moved to true northern California almost 6 years ago it was fun to see the sites. I was wowed the first time I saw this flag flying high above Interstate 5 that runs the length of the state going north /south. It is always a breath taking site and always a breeze that ruffles her feathers so to speak showing how large it is.

We have had a lot of this lately . Thunder on occasion with no lighting in these foothills. For which we are grateful as there is little to no rain hitting the ground but the air smells like it is. Dry lighting isn't what we like to see when the grasses are dry all around us since it often is the cause of wildfires. We do have a minimum of 100 feet defensive space around house and barns but that at times won't be enough.

Please excuse my swollen tootsies. Last Friday as I was putting the goats and Pyrs to bed for the evening I got strung and bitten numerous times by a "meat bee" who is technically a member of the yellow jacket family. They are scavengers by nature and we see them each summer to one degree or another. I kind of did this to myself as there hadn't been but a half dozen around so far this year and I wasn't thinking when I found a fledgling sparrow floating in a water bucket on the fence line earlier. I picked it up out of the water and tossed to the side a few feet intending to retrieve it for placement further out the next day. By the time I went back out that evening the word was out and these little scavengers (think hyena's with wings) were doing their job and sent out a scout to give me a warning. It felt like a knife was rotating in my toes, swelling commenced immediately and by Sunday it was creeping up my leg and itching like mad. I had been bitten multiple times the summer of 2012 when I was tending the critters while Geoffrey was hospitalized. To the extent that I have apparently developed an allergic reaction to them. Not a good thing.Finally now a week later I am doing much better. The photo above was taken on the first morning after the bite and here is a link for some light reading https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowjacket
And in case anyone is wondering I have no history of reacting to honeybee stings.

This is my latest project. It is a four shaft Nilus LeClarc table loom called Dorothy. This is one of the earlier models and I have had it a few years. Getting it ready for a new project. A scarf of organic cotton gradient colors. Pictures as time allows.

I will interject a "Geoffrey update" if I have one. Today I do . He is recovering nicely from a diagnostic surgery and we are still dealing with CLL (chronic lymphatic leukemia) not Mantel Cell. Next step is a bone marrow biopsy for diagnostic purposes and then finally later this month a meeting with the oncologist to determine a treatment plan. He is napping more often and not as active as time passes but in good humor and trying to keep things normal as possible. Me too.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

A nice soothing photo of the river at one of my favorite places Burney Falls in McArthur Burney Falls State Park.

I apologize for my silence of late but a good deal of changes have occurred on the farm in the last few weeks. And the one of most impact is large. I will be dropping in from time to time to do a "normal" post or update on my husbands new battle with the "C" word. Some of you may have known from the blog before this that my husband has danced with Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia since July of 2012.

We now know that he is out of remission and we are scrambling to get some more finite diagnosis and then learn of our choices for a treatment plan. I don't mind sharing as I hope that I can offer someone comfort by knowing that they and the one they love aren't dancing this dance alone. There are multitudes of families such as ours. But in the same token when the next new normal comes into focus I will be posting about the beauty, love and fun of life. This blog will not become one large pity party.

So with that said we are off to surgery tomorrow to get more info as to exactly what is going on. I hope you all can forgive my sporadic disappearing acts and stick around to see what is new and exciting as summer morphs into fall here at the farm.

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About Me

I am a native Californian old enough to remember when the Golden State lived up to her name. I live on 42 acres off the grid with one husband, a Border Collie/ Aussie cross Cali, an English Setter Ari, two Great Pyrenees Sherman and Yarrow who live with our LaMancha dairy goats and keep them from harms way. Toss in a few chickens, a yearly garden well you get the picture. Also have two adult children and 4 incredible grand girls. I am also a spinner, weaver, knitter and occasional quilter.